John Tyler was born in 1790 and became the 10th President of the United States in 1841. He wasn’t elected–Tyler took over for William Henry Harrison, who died in office, age 68, after the shortest presidency (32 days) in history. Tyler men do not tend to die early. They also tended to practice something more widely popular in this century: having children late in life. John Tyler had 15 children–for that you have to have some early and late!
One of those was Lyon Gardiner Tyler, two of whose sons are still alive: Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. (b. 1924) and Harrison Ruffin Tyler (b. 1928). Mental Floss tweeted this astonishing factoid back in 2012, spurring New York magazine to interview Harrison Tyler on the subject of being alive. He was all for it. Happy President’s Day.
